Attachment for chairs.



ATTACHMENT POR CHAIRS. APPLICATION FILED Nov. z5, 1907.

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G. W. HAAS.

ATTACHMENT PoR CHAIRS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25,1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.l

GUSTAN/'E W. HAAS, OF LOS ANGELES, (YALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MARGARET B. FOWLER, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

ATTACIIMENT FOR CHAIRS.

Specification o! Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVF. W. HAAs, of Los eles, in the county of Los Angeles, State o California,l have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Attachments for Chairs; and I do hereby declare -the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of the present invention is to provide a means whereby an ordinary chair may be readily converted into a rolling chair,

-the means employed for the purpose being simple, inexpensive and capable of being pac ed in small compass for transportation.

The invention consists in certain nevel deo ,tails of construction and combinations and 2o arrangements of parts all `as will be new described and inted out particularly in the ap ended claims.

n the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a pers ctive view o an ordinary rocking chair which has been converted into a rolling chair with a. liances embodying the present invention. i 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the ont wheel frames. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of, one end of said frames 3o lookingin the direction of the arrows on line 3 3, ig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rear or caster wheel frame. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the crank handles, s rocket and carrying bracket of the manual y operated driving gear.

Like letters of reference in the several gures indicate the same parts.

The chair illustrated and which has been converted intol a rollin chair is an ordinary rocking chair but it wi l be understood that the particular construction of the chair itself is immaterial, the only requirement being that it shall be comfortable to the invalid or erson to make use of it.

o the rockers or legs ofthe chair, separate roller or wheel frames are removably secured lby clamping means, thus, as shown, thel 5o front Wheels B are journaled on stud axles b projecting on the outer sides of clamp frames and the vclamp frames have clamps C C2 on'the inner sides by which the frames and Wheels may be secured to the leg or rocker of the chair. In addition to the clamps, the

frames are provided with inwardly extending projections or sleeves I) adapted to receive a cross brace or shaft D by which the two frames and axes of the wheels will be held in proper alinement and prevented from assummg a diagonal position either when being positioned or as a result of loading the chair too heavily. These projections or sleeves D, it will be noted, are not spaced midway between the clamps and -hence the clamps may be made to embrace a rocker on opposite sides of the chair leg without destroying the symmetrical appearance of the parts with relation to the chair.

When applied t'o a chair as illustrated in the drawings the cross or alining rod or shaft D is located above the rockers A and in rear of the front legs A of the chair, but this position is optional and where the clamps are applied to the legs instead of to the rockers the shaft may be either in front or in rear of the le s.

In t e preferred construction, each wheel frame is provided with lugs e adapted to receive adjustable rods E, which latter at their forward ends carry telescoping sections of a cross rod E forming a foot rest.' The rods forming the foot rest may of course carry any of the usual or preferred types of flat foot boards should the same be desired by the invalid.

The frame carrying the rear rollers is preferably composed of clamps G having square sleeves G for the reception of a square cross shaft H. This cross shaft is held firmly by set screws zI and is adapted to carry one, or, if desired, two caster Wheel sockets I each having a square sleeve i for the shaft, preferably set at an angle to the vertical axis of the socket in which the wheel frame turns and best shown in 5. This arrangement permits the shaft clam s'and sockets to be assembled to preserve t 1e substantially vertical relation of the socket when the clamps are applied to various parts of the rocker or to the legs of the chair as the case may be. Each wheel socket is held in place by a set screw i and the wheels K will, as is well understood, adapt themselves to the moveoments of the chair in any direction.

As thus far described the attachment may be applied to any ordinaryvchair to form a rolling chair adapted to be. ushed about by an attendant, but should it life desired to provide a chair which may be propelled manually by the invalid seated in the chair, this may be accomplished by the addition of a simple driving mechanism as follows: The front wheels B are each formed or provided with sprocket Wheels M preferably located on the inner sides of the wheels B and from the sprocket wheels M drive chains m extend up to. smaller sprocket Wheelsv N journaled in brackets O having clamps O by which they may be clamped to the arms A2 or other appropriate part of the chair at each side. Each sprocket wheel N or the shaft of each wheel is provided with a crank handle P having the handle on the outer side where it will be in convenient position for operation by a person occupying the ch air.

The wheels and driving mechanism being independent, it is obvious that'the chair may be turned in any direction by varying the relative movement of the crank handles and as 'the supporting wheels are small little power is required to drive the chair.

The whole apparatus necessary to convert va chair into a rolling chair, it will be noted,

is in separable units which may be readily and quickly assembled in proper working relation on a chair. The parts when separated are of small compass and may be readily packed in a hand grip for transportation, thus enabling invalids to travel with the certainty that lat their destination they will have proper conveniences for moving about without being carried by the attendants or depending upon the unlikely contingency of a rolling chair being accessible.

Having thus Adescribed my invention, whatl claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An attachment for chairs embodying independent clamp frames, Wheels journaled on said frames, separated clamping members on each frame and means for holding the axes of the wheels in alinement when the clamps are applied to a chair.

2. An attachment for chairs embodying a removable caster Wheel frame and wheel for the rear of the chair,. and independent front clamp frames each having separated clamping members, and inwardly extending projections, supporting wheels journaled on `the clamp frames anda cross shaft coperat? ing with the projections for holding the axes of the wheels in alinement when applied to a chair.

3. An attachment for chairs embodying a removable caster Wheel frame and Wheel for the rear .of the chair, separate clamp frames having wheels journaled thereon for the front of the chair, se arated clamps on each clamp frame locate at one side of the axis ofthe wheels and a cross shaft for holding the axes of the Wheels in alinement when the frames are clamped to a chair.

4. An attachment 'for' chairs embodying a removable caster Wheel frame and wheel for the rear of the chair and separate clamp frames for the front of the chair having supporting Wheels journaled on stud axles projecting from one side of said frames and spaced clamp arms projecting from the opposite side of said frames.

5. A11-attachment for chairs embodying ay I removable caster wheel frame and wheel for the vrear of thechair and separate clamp frames for the front of the chair having supporting wheels journaled on stud axles projectin from the outer side of said frames, space clamp arms projecting from the innerside of said frames, projections on the inner side of the frames and a cross shaft cooperating at the ends with saidprojections to hold the axes of the wheels in alinement.

6. An attachment for chairs embodying a removable caster wheel frame and wheel for the rear of the chair, separate clamp frames for the front of the chair, supporting wheelsY j ournaled on stud axles on the outer side of the frames7 clamp arms projecting from the inner side of the frames in front and rear of the axes of the wheels and a cross shaft cooperating with the frames to hold the axes of the Wheels in alinement.

7. An attachment for chairs embodying a removable caster wheel frame and Wheel for the rear of the chair, clamp frames having clamps and Wheels for the front of the chair, foot rest supports adjustably mounted in the clamp frames and a rod having telescopic sections connecting the foot rest supports; substantially as described. y

8. An attachment for chairs embodying a rear caster wheel and frame with means for securing the same on the chair, front su porting wheels having sprocket whee sy thereon and journaled in frames having clamps for removably securing them on the chair, crank handles having sprocket Wheels connected therewith, clamps in Which the crank handles are journaled and sprocket chains for connecting the wheel and handle.

sprockets.

9.An attachment for chairs embodying front supporting wheels and clamping means for removably supporting them in position on the chair, anda rear caster wheel and frame therefor embodying clamps having square sleeves thereon, asquare shaft itting in said sleeves, a caster Wheel socket having an angularly arranged square sleeve fitting said shaft and screws for clamping said sleeves on the shaft.

GUsTxvE w. HAAs. 

